If you look at the following thread, http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=569462 I have detailed instructions in several messages for people on how and where to buy Orange service at CDG where you can find people who speak English.

As mentioned previously, the pre-paid service from Orange is called Mobicarte.

You can find more information on Mobicarte at
http://www.orange.fr/bin/frame.cgi?u...3DNPV2GEOFFRES

Mobicarte SIM cards can also be purchased at Orange boutiques, at the electronics chain FNAC and at the Virgin Megastore in Paris.

Prepaid "scratch-off" cards called Récharges, can be bought at post offices (where they will simply hand you a cash register print out that you don't have to scratch) and at cigarette stands called "tabacs."

Don't even think about speaking English to Orange customer service. If you speak French, you may well reach the same conclusion that I did which is that these folks make Verizon Wireless look good. On the other hand, I can tell you that the service in their Place de la Madeleine boutique, both in the sales and tech departments, is first rate.

Here is a different suggestion that I would ask you to consider. Perhaps one of your French friends would be willing to sign up for an Orange Initial account and let you use it. a) it will probably cost less; and b)you will avoid the hassle of either running out of credit when you need it or leaving France with too much pre-paid credit.

Information on the Orange Initial account starts on page 19 of the following document: http://www.orange.fr/bin/frame.cgi?u...3DNPV2GEOFFRES

With Initial, you pay €7 a month and €.45 a minute for calls in France billed after you make them.

Unlike a Mobicarte, an Initial account can ROAM in other countries. If you take a Mobicarte phone to Switzerland, for example you can call only one country, France. I believe you can receive calls from anywhere, though.

Unless things have changed dramatically, don't even dream of opening your own Orange account unless you have either a French carte d'identité or permis de travail AND a RIB. (If these terms mean nothing to you, you don't have these things.)

Most Orange shop personnel either act like they don't know how to open an account for a foreigner or don't bother to tell you because few foreigners are willing to come up with the amount they require as a deposit. (When I first started with Orange around 2000, the deposit was €500. I heard it is now up to €1,000).

I have had a regular monthly account with Orange for several years and it took huge negotiations by myself and my European colleagues to make it happen. I would not recommend that course for you